Retz Family Get-Together Fun

Over the weekend my family met in Tomah at the Cranberry Country Lodge to have some family fun. There were twenty-one of us all together. Tina, Nicci, and Amaya. Andy, Greg, Evan and Jabin. My two sisters Sue and her husband Don, Carla and her husband Dennis, their two boys Andy and Alex. My niece Kari and two girls Elsie and Alma. Kari’s in-laws June and Dudley. Of course me, Ted and Amanda. Tina and the girls shared a room with us. We let the kids swim until after ten thirty that night.

Saturday after everyone ate breakfast the swimming began! Tina, Amanda, Nicci and & I ventured around Tomah while Grandpa Ted swam with Amaya . We were gone about three hours and they were still in the pool when we got back! Tomah has a lot of cute shops to check out. (We need to make a girls weekend sometime to check them out more).

After lunch and naps of course there was more swimming to be done. The motel provided us a meeting room to get together in so we ordered food from Pizza Hut and had a chance for us all to visit. We celebrated Andy, Amanda, and Elsie’s birthdays with chocolate cupcakes. Kari (my Niece) brought Mad Libs so we made up some pretty funny stories. After everyone went back to their rooms, of course we weren’t tired so Tina, Nicci, Amanda and I went to Kari’s room for some girl talk and a few beverages. Good thing our rooms were right next to each other!!

After breakfast on Sunday the kids swam some more until it was time to head home. What a fun time that was. We will have to do it again sometime. Grandma and Grandpa Retz were with us all in spirit.

Fun at Andy's

Yesterday I brought Cole to play with Evan & Jabin. They rode bikes in the basement for awhile. We had lunch and then went outside to play. Greg made an awesome sliding path for the kids. They flew down the hill. There is a huge bump at the end and they go airborne for a brief second. After sliding they had hot chocolate and watched a movie. It was then time for me to bring Cole back to my house. What fun they had.

Evan and Jabin at the bottom of the hill.

Cole at the bottom of the hill. Jabin on his way up.

Cole coming up the hill.

Andy giving Evan a push!!

When I arrived Andy handed me a bag and in it was a pair of her pants that needed mending. Evan's PJ's that needed buttons. Two bath towels that she wanted me to make hair wraps out of them. Guess I had some projects to do. (By the way they are completed already).

Hair wraps and bus bags.

The boys ride the bus to and from school and have bus buddies. These are older kids that sit and read to them during their bus ride. Andy asked me to make a couple bags so she could fill them with goodies. So I got that accomplished also.

Today I went and had lunch with a friend that I haven't seen for awhile. It was good to see her again. She is layed off her job so she was glad to get out and visit.

Recycling of a leather coat

Tanya (my stepdaughter) is having a birthday on Tuesday. She had seen some of the purses that I made and hinted she needed one. Well, she is not a print kind of girl. Racking my brain trying to think of something I could use, I remembered I had a long leather coat that I haven't worn in years. So after ripping out seams I cut out my purse. The hem of the coat worked perfectly for the top and I used the coat lining to line the bag. Cut come long lengths for straps and stitched it up. I also made a pouch for her to put small items inside.

Tanya's bag. I gave it to her this morning when she dropped off Cole. She loved it!

Today I am going to Andy's house so Cole can play with Evan & Jabin. It is warm out so they can play outside.

The Temps are Rising!

It has been well below zero now for over "80" hours. Yesterday it was-25 and today it was -27 with windchills in the -40 range. Schools have been closed the last two days. It has been record breaking cold. Tonight the temp is 5 above. Whoo-hoo!!! Anyway it has been just plain cold.

I did a bit of sewing this week. I made a couple pillows. Today I experimented on some headbands. Quite simple. A good thing for all the small pieces of material I have. I did make Amanda's birthday present. I will see her next weekend and give it to her then. Will post that later.

Next weekend my family is having a get together at the Cranberry Country Lodge in Tomah, WI. There will be around twenty five of us there. That is about half way for us to meet my sister Carla and her family. They live in Waukesha, WI. There will be six kids under the age of six. We decided last summer it would be fun to get together at a motel so the kids could swim. Thanks Kari (my niece) for making arrangements. I know the little ones are excited to see their cousins.

Sewing projects.

Not much else new here this week. Kind of quiet for me. Stay warm.

Stitchin's

Stitchin' Fun

Here are the finished goods. I made three little pillows and a wall hanging.

We got close to four inches of fresh snow yesterday. It was the light fluffy kind. It is kind of pretty. Today it is just plain cold.

Don't forget to enter the Valentine Swap.

Valentine Swap

Go to Tina's blog (pepercreekgatherings) and join the Valentine Swap. Sounds like fun. The Valentine shown here is from old Valentines I found that were my Aunt Mabel's from when she was a school teacher at Pine Grove School in Boyceville, Wisconsin. It was a one room school house. Both my parents went their. In fact Aunt Mabel taught my mother. My older sister Sue went there also. It is no longer there. I have a chunk (small) of the black board that was on the wall. Also a couple old school books from there.

Today is "catch" up day. I have to get caught up on some much needed housework I didn't get done with Amaya here. I started some stitcheries and need to finish them up too. This morning I made some "bath cookies". I will let you now how they work. It is supposed to get really cold this week not getting above zero. I'm not liking that. Stay warm and have a pleasant week.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY AMANDA

Today is Amanda's birthday. Hope she has a good one. I won't see her for a couple weeks so she will have to wait for her present. I have to make it yet!!!

All quiet now with Amaya back to her mom. Here is a picture of Amaya and Tina with the presents.

Not much else new today. Just going to hang out and maybe do some stitcing today. It's trying to snow and cloudy so it makes for a good couch day!!!